I think that this song is the perfect culmination of everything that Spirit is about. The whole album deals with the themes that are found in this song, such as childhood and growing up, and both have a dark undercurrent. It seems to be about the expectations that parents have on their children "Baby love me now that you are born" and how the relationship changes as time goes by and aging happens. Eventually the child needs to escape the shadow of it's parents like any adolescent in order to mature and learn to stand on it's own two feet. It seems like the lyrics "ruuuuuuuuuuunnnnnn!" and "Row, Alvin Row, Alvin Row, Alvin Row, Row Alvin" (it sounds like Alvin's last name has now become a verb) are almost shouts of advice from the Avey to Alvin. And the end seems to be reflection on and nostalgia for the much simpler life that childhood provided. At least that's my take.
I think that this song is the perfect culmination of everything that Spirit is about. The whole album deals with the themes that are found in this song, such as childhood and growing up, and both have a dark undercurrent. It seems to be about the expectations that parents have on their children "Baby love me now that you are born" and how the relationship changes as time goes by and aging happens. Eventually the child needs to escape the shadow of it's parents like any adolescent in order to mature and learn to stand on it's own two feet. It seems like the lyrics "ruuuuuuuuuuunnnnnn!" and "Row, Alvin Row, Alvin Row, Alvin Row, Row Alvin" (it sounds like Alvin's last name has now become a verb) are almost shouts of advice from the Avey to Alvin. And the end seems to be reflection on and nostalgia for the much simpler life that childhood provided. At least that's my take.